Hyperlite Mountain Gear Unbound 40 vs Hyperlite Mountain Gear Waypoint 35
Quick take: The Hyperlite Mountain Gear Waypoint 35 costs $15 less; the Hyperlite Mountain Gear Unbound 40 carries more (40 vs 35 liters); the Hyperlite Mountain Gear Waypoint 35 is lighter (1.5 vs 1.71 lbs).
Which one to buy
Hyperlite built both for the same hiker: a base weight around 10 lb and frequent resupply. The Waypoint 35 is the lighter step down, $15 cheaper and 0.21 lb lighter, with a single aluminum stay and a padded, pocketed hipbelt that comes off so the pack strips to a summit sack. The Unbound 40 uses two contoured stays, adds 5 L, and has a hydration sleeve the Waypoint goes without.
The Unbound's other draw is its pocket layout. Owners say the bottom stash pocket, for grabbing a layer or snacks without stopping, is the feature they cannot go back from, and its stretch front pocket dries a wet tent on the move. The Waypoint has 6.5 L of stretch-mesh outside pockets in Hyperlite's lightest mesh grade, which is the first thing to wear. The Unbound's stretch pocket has the same issue in brush.
Fit and limits are shared. Both come in four fixed torso sizes, S to Tall, and neither is a canister pack: the Unbound won't take one, and the smaller Waypoint makes no canister claim. The Unbound's foam back is also clammy, and the redesigned Unbound has no hipbelt pockets at all. For most fast hikers the Unbound's second stay, sleeve and stash pocket are worth the $15. The Waypoint's real edge is its padded hipbelt that comes off, which the Unbound doesn't offer.
Hyperlite Mountain Gear Unbound 40
Worth the extra $15 for hikers who want a second stay, a hydration sleeve and the bottom stash pocket owners rave about.
Hyperlite Mountain Gear Waypoint 35
For ounce-counters whose kit fits in 35 L and who want a removable padded hipbelt that turns the pack into a summit sack.
| Spec | Hyperlite Mountain Gear Unbound 40 | Hyperlite Mountain Gear Waypoint 35 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $395 | $380 |
| Rating | 4.8★ (4) | — |
| Type | Ultralight Pack | Ultralight Pack |
| Frame Type | Internal Frame | Internal Frame |
| Capacity | 40 L | 35 L |
| Weight | 1.71 lbs | 1.5 lbs |
| Max Load | Up to 40 lbs | Up to 40 lbs; HMG recommends a base weight around 10 lb |
| Torso Fit | 40L sized S/M/L/Tall, 55L XS-Tall: XS <15 in, S 15-17, M 17-19, L 19-21, Tall 21+ in | Sized S/M/L/Tall: S 15-17 in, M 17-19, L 19-21, Tall 21+ in |
| Material | Dyneema Woven Composite 3.9, 100D Dyneema Gridstop, Dyneema Stretch Mesh | Dyneema Composite Hybrid 3.8 and 5.1 with 100D Dyneema Gridstop and Dyneema Stretch Mesh UL |
| Back Panel | Two contoured removable stays | Sewn-through foam panel with a single removable stay |
| Adjustable torso | No | No |
| Ventilated back | No | No |
| Raincover included | No | No |
| Hipbelt pockets | No | Yes |
| Removable lid | No | No |
| Hydration sleeve | Yes | No |
| Fits BV500 bear can | No | No |
| Warranty | Guaranteed against manufacturing defects, no term stated | Guaranteed against manufacturing defects, no term stated |
Pros & cons
Hyperlite Mountain Gear Unbound 40
- ✓The bottom stash pocket — grab a layer or snacks without stopping — is the feature owners say they can't go back from.
- ✓Waterproof Dyneema construction means no pack liner and no wet-gear anxiety.
- ✓At 1.71 lbs with two removable stays it competes with frameless packs while carrying meaningfully better.
- ✓The stretch front pocket (unlike the Southwest's solid one) swallows a soaked tent for on-the-move drying.
- ✓Build quality matches its flagship siblings.
- ✓The 40L discipline forces a genuinely light kit, which converts say improved their whole system.
- ✓Clean compression lets it double as a big daypack or peak-bagging bag.
- ✓The white-and-black aesthetic carries the same HMG cachet.
- ✗40 liters plus no bear-canister fit rules out canister country and long food carries — a hard constraint, not a preference.
- ✗$395 for less volume than a $229 Flash 55 makes the per-liter math painful.
- ✗HMG rates it to 40 lbs, but some owners find it carries best nearer 30 lbs; winter or water-heavy trips overwhelm it.
- ✗Same clammy foam-on-back feel as every HMG.
- ✗Fixed sizes, minimal try-on options, and a boxy fit — the standard HMG sizing gamble.
- ✗The stretch pocket wears faster than the Southwest's solid fabric in brush.
- ✗It assumes an already-dialed kit; beginners who buy the aesthetic first find it unforgiving.
Hyperlite Mountain Gear Waypoint 35
- ✓HMG's lightest framed pack: 23.5 oz with a single aluminium stay and a padded hipbelt.
- ✓Rated to 40 lbs, the same ceiling as the 55 L Southwest, in a 35 L body.
- ✓DCH 3.8 on the body keeps the weight down while 5.1 reinforces the wear points.
- ✓The hipbelt is padded, pocketed and removable, so the pack strips to a summit sack.
- ✓Four torso lengths, S through Tall.
- ✓6.5 L of external pocket volume in stretch mesh for layers and water.
- ✗$380 is $30 more than the frameless Contour 35 for one stay.
- ✗A 40 lb rating in a 35 L pack is academic; HMG itself suggests a base weight around 10 lb.
- ✗Dyneema Stretch Mesh UL is the lightest of HMG's mesh grades and the first thing to wear.
- ✗No hydration sleeve is listed, no lid and no rain cover.
- ✗Torso length comes in four fixed sizes rather than adjusting.
Hyperlite Mountain Gear Unbound 40 vs Hyperlite Mountain Gear Waypoint 35: common questions
Is one stay enough, or should I get the two-stay Unbound 40?▾
With a base weight around 10 lb, as Hyperlite recommends for the Waypoint, one stay and a padded hipbelt carry well. If your food and water carries run heavy, the Unbound's two contoured stays give the load more structure.
Can I use a hydration bladder in the Waypoint 35?▾
Not in a sleeve: the Waypoint has none, while the Unbound 40 does. If you drink from a bladder, that alone points to the Unbound.
Which outside pockets last longer?▾
Both use stretch mesh, and both wear faster than solid fabric. The Waypoint uses Hyperlite's lightest mesh grade, the first thing to wear, and the Unbound's stretch pocket wears faster than solid pockets in brush.